Panama

Rainforests, Reefs and the Road Less Paved

Venture beyond the capital and Panama reveals a wilderness that feels almost excessive in its abundance. The Darién Gap, one of the last truly roadless stretches on the American continent, harbours jaguars, harpy eagles and indigenous communities whose traditions predate the arrival of Spanish colonisers by millennia. On the Caribbean side, the San Blas Islands (Guna Yala) scatter across turquoise waters like a postcard that forgot to add a filter. The highlands around Boquete offer cooler temperatures, outstanding coffee plantations and some of the finest birdwatching in the Americas, with the resplendent quetzal as the headline act.

A Crossroads of Cultures and Currencies

Panama's position as a crossroads has shaped a culture that borrows freely from its neighbours and trading partners. You will hear Spanish on every corner, but English, Chinese languages, indigenous tongues and the rhythms of Caribbean patois all contribute to the soundtrack. The country's seven indigenous peoples, including the Ngäbe, Guna and Emberá, maintain vibrant traditions that range from the brilliantly coloured mola textiles of the Guna to the living forest architecture of Emberá villages along the Chagres River. The balboa, Panama's official currency, is pegged one to one to the US dollar, and in practice both circulate interchangeably, which makes spending rather straightforward for visitors from North America.

Festivals, Flavour and a Very Famous Hat

Panamanian cuisine reflects the country's position at the intersection of continents, blending Caribbean coconut rice, Central American corn traditions, indigenous root vegetables and fresh seafood hauled from two separate oceans. Carnival in the Azuero Peninsula is a riotous, multiday celebration of music, dance and elaborate costumes that rivals anything in the region. And while the "Panama hat" is actually from Ecuador (a source of enduring mild irritation), the country does claim the pollera, one of the most intricate and labour intensive national costumes in the world. Whether you arrive for the canal, the coffee, the coastline or the chaos of Carnival, Panama has a way of exceeding expectations with a grin and a "¡Que xopa!"